Efforts have been underway to eliminate tenure for public school teachers in Missouri, but those have largely come up short in the state legislature.
The Columbia Missourian reported Tuesday that the "debate came to halt when a divided (state senate) chamber approved an amendment to keep tenure in place while a special task force examines teacher pay and effectiveness."
But the issue hasn't entirely died. On Thursday, Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, amended her original version of the bill; now, that version has gotten first-round approval in the state senate. It would double from five to 10 years the number of years a teacher must serve before earning tenure.
MissouriNet reports that, according to Cunningham, "the tenure system makes it too hard to get rid of ineffective teachers, (and she) had wanted to eliminate tenure but has settled for a version of her bill that another senator calls 'watered down.'"
The Missourian notes that tenure makes it difficult for school districts to get rid of a teacher for any reasons other than immoral conduct; incompetency, inefficiency or insubordination; willful or persistent violation of the state's school laws or regulations; excessive absences; or conviction of certain felonies.
Proponents of eliminating or weakening tenure say the existing system makes it too difficult to fire underperforming teachers.
Democratic Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-St. Louis County, was the only Democrat opposed to keeping the teacher tenure system intact, according to a report by CBS Radio in St. Louis.
“All I am asking for is accountability,” Chappelle-Nadal told CBS; she is also a school board member for University City.
Do you agree? Should Missouri weaken the tenure system — if not eliminate it altogether? Or should teachers have the sort of job protection tenure affords?
Patch blogger, Aimee Granneman, has spoken out in support of teachers and tenure.
It's not popular to say it, but teachers have far less of an effect on student performance than popular mythology would have you believe. The best teacher in the world will have little success in a classroom with unmotivated students, unsupportive administration, and indifferent parents. A bad teacher won't help, but won't produce all that much worse a result. And quite frankly, you don't need a Ph.D. in mathematics to teach Algebra I. There is no magic bullet out there waiting to be discovered regarding education. We know how to teach, we just don't want to face the hard reality that academic success takes hard work, discipline, self-control, and sacrifice, pretty much like anything in life. No teacher in the world can instill that by themselves, but a system/society that demanded that would go a long way to restoring academic excellence. Good luck doing that, because no one wants to hear that they may the cause of their own failure. We have met the enemy, and they are us.
Wow, that's fantastic... and certainly contradictory to what I have witnessed in the WG school district. Maybe I ought to move to your school's area if all the teachers you encounter have the same drive as you!
Although I only taught for a very short time, I can tell you that going through my teacher certification classes, student teacher training, and actual teaching, spotting the ineffective teachers was pretty easy. There were the teachers who had their students coloring to do their science assignments - in high school! There were the colleagues who couldn't explain how or why an experiment worked, and all it required was a basic knowledge of algebra. There were teachers who had the attitude that they didn't really care if the students learned anything in their class or not, because if they really needed to know it, they would learn it in college. And there was the guy who did nothing but show disaster movies and give quizzes on them and called it Earth Science. And all of this was at suburban schools in St. Louis and St. Charles. (Not Ladue or Clayton, BTW, who actually do have some pretty amazing teachers and students.)
Doctors and lawyers pay for insurance to protect them if they make a mistake. This is what teacher unions do. Should doctors need malpractice insurance? We take their experience and degree as proof of superior knowledge! Why are teachers not afforded that same type of respect? Missouri is among the highest standards for teacher certification and while I agree, there are some that are just biding their time, there are many more others who care and are working hard to educate YOUR children. The NEA and other teacher unions are there to protect teachers from being released without just cause. There is ample opportunity to weed out "bad teachers" if administrators do their job to document and attempt to improve the situation. NCLB, EOC's and the various other acronyms used to "prove teacher effectiveness" do not take into account the lack of support teachers receive from parents. I can offer the material, make it interesting and do what I feel is best for my students, but if parents don't reinforce the value of education and respect in the classroom, my test scores won't be what proves my "effectiveness."
If teachers have it so good, Dan, with their lucrative compensation and whatnot, then why don't you study to become one, and you quit your whining.
Parents afraid to talk to their teachers - Are you making this up? When I have a question or request I get a response from my child's teacher within a half-day. Principal the same. Anyone can attend a board meeting. I have more open communications with my public school than any private sector service.
Why would you think I am making this this up? This pubication I am referring to is a fact from a State Senator. It is not my opinion I threw this in the discussio so you can see what is being sent to Sneators ( well at least mine) in regards to what parents are saying to the Senator because you said parents like tenure , That's all just read some other views before you argue . I have red your opinions and I have not seen any facts backing it up except for that fact that is the way you think.
I do not have anything against doctors and their pay levels. Just calling out Dan's concept that teachers can't possibly care about their students while collectively bargaining for their compensation.
I'm not calling anyone a liar. (Though do I really need to point out that politicians have been known to lie?). I give more credence to personal experience, what more can I say. I feel I can be a better advocate for my child's education by dealing with the real people involved rather than a Senator in Jeff City with a political axe to grind. I realize I live in a larger world than my own, but really am not compelled today to regurgitate what some think tank website says. Have a lovely day.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/04/who-knew-secession-again-on-the-agenda-in-missouri/255980/
Q: Will MSTA become a union? A: Truthfully, we’ve always done what a union does. We’re involved in the political process and the negotiations process. We fight legislatively for funding and defend teachers when employment-related problems arise or when legal assistance is needed. We will continue to do all those things. So, they are not a union, but act as one. If that helps. MNEA states they are a union: 7. Is MNEA a union or a professional association? We are both. A union advocates for its members. The American Bar Association and the American Medical Association both qualify as unions. And like the MNEA and NEA, they are also professional associations. Education employees are in an unusual category because what affects employees also affects children. A teacher’s working conditions are a child's learning conditions.